Commercial Bank offers Lacey Street building to Anderson County for expanded elections office; court to inspect and hold workshop

Commercial Bank of Texas representatives on March 10 offered the county the commercial building at 412 East Lacey Street as a potential new home for the Anderson County Elections Office.

Jessica Hawkins (presenting for the bank) told the court the bank’s asking price would be $475,000 but the bank would donate $125,000, yielding a net cash price of $350,000 if the county purchased the property. Hawkins described recent building improvements including a new roof (installed in 2020 with a remaining warranty) and replacement of four air-conditioning units in 2020; she also said the property currently has fiber optic adjacent to it and roughly 36 parking spaces in the rear.

Casey Brown, the county’s election administrator, told commissioners the elections office has outgrown its current courthouse annex space and that the building on Lacey Street would reduce the need to constantly move election machines and supplies between separate storage areas. Brown noted benefits such as a drive-through window for voter assistance, on-site storage and multiple conference rooms that could be used for training and party meetings.

Commissioners did not vote to purchase the property during the meeting. Instead they agreed to add the item to a future agenda and to hold a workshop and a site visit so all commissioners, the auditor and affected departments can evaluate space needs, consolidation opportunities and budget implications. The bank indicated the building will be vacant after early April, and county staff and commissioners discussed the possibility of a site walk-through with the seller prior to a decision.